What Is The WWE Draft?

The WWE Draft is a process used by WWE to replenish its rosters for its Raw and SmackDown brands. The draft lottery took place on the October 11, 2016 episode of SmackDown Live and was the first since 2011.

Introduction

The WWE Draft is a process used by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE to periodically reassign wrestlers to different brands within the company’s television programs. The draft was established in 2002 as a way to refresh the rosters of WWE’s then-existing brands, Raw and SmackDown!, and to better equalize the competition between them.

Over the years, various other methods have been used by WWE to determine who appears on which brand, such as the Brand Extension (2002–2011), in which wrestlers were assigned to a brand simply by virtue of being on that brand’s corresponding television program; however, the draft has remained a periodic occurrence. The most recent draft took place on October 11, 2019.

What is the WWE Draft?

The WWE draft is a process used by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE to assign wrestlers to its brands: Raw, SmackDown, NXT, and 205 Live. The draft lottery took place on October 11, 2019, and was shown on the premiere of SmackDown on FOX.

What is the purpose of the WWE Draft?

The WWE Draft is a process used by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE to replenish its rosters of Main Roster and NXT wrestlers. The first WWE Draft took place on March 25, 2002, and has since occurred sporadically.

The most recent WWE Draft took place on October 11, 2019 and saw a total of 72 wrestlers drafted onto the Raw and SmackDown brands. The 2019 WWE Draft featured several changes from years past: for the first time in draft history, both tag teams and women’s tag teams were drafted as complete units, meaning that all members of a team would move together to the same brand. In addition, for the first time ever in WWE history, NXT wrestlers were also eligible to be drafted.

When does the WWE Draft take place?

The WWE Draft is an annual event in which WWE superstars are drafted to either the Raw or SmackDown brand. The draft takes place over a two-day period in July, and is done through a random selection process.

How does the WWE Draft work?

Since the early days of sports-entertainment, WWE Superstars have been fighting for brand supremacy. Which brand is superior has been the source of some of the most heated rivalries in WWE history. The most recent iterations of these brands, Raw and SmackDown, each have their own unique roster of Superstars that do battle every week on live television.

Every few years, WWE undergoes a “brand split” where the rosters of Raw and SmackDown are drafted back and forth in order to keep things fresh. This allows for new match-ups and story lines to develop, as well as giving new Superstars a chance to shine.

The WWE Draft usually takes place at WWE’s annual pay-per-view event, WrestleMania. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Draft will be taking place virtually on October 9 and 10 on Friday Night SmackDown and Monday Night Raw respectively.

How does the WWE Draft work?
Superstars will be drafted in alternating picks between Raw General Manager Stephanie McMahon and SmackDown Commissioner Shayna Baszler. There will be a total of 60 draft picks made over the course of two nights, with 30 picks being made on each night.

Raw will draft first on Friday Night SmackDown, while SmackDown will get the first pick on Monday Night Raw. This continues back and forth until all 60 draft picks have been made.

Which Superstars are eligible to be drafted?
Any active Superstar who is not currently injured can be drafted, with the exceptions of WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and WWE Championship Drew McIntyre who are not eligible to be drafted due to already being reigning champions on their respective brands. Additionally, NXT Superstars cannot be drafted to either Raw or SmackDown as NXT is its own distinct brand.

What happens if a drafted Superstar gets injured?
If a drafted Superstar is unable to compete due to injury, they can still remain on their respective brand’s roster. However, if an injury forces a Superstar to retire, they are immediately removed from their brand’s roster.

Who has been drafted in the past?

The WWE Draft is a process used by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE to periodically move its wrestlers between its different divisions and brands. The draft took place on October 11, 2019, the first since 2011.

In the past, the WWE Draft has been used to refresh the rosters of its two main brands, Raw and SmackDown, as well as to promote wrestlers from NXT (its developmental brand) to the main roster.

Some of the most notable WWE Superstars who have been drafted in the past include John Cena, Brock Lesnar, The Rock, AJ Styles, and Charlotte Flair.

What are the benefits of the WWE Draft?

The WWE Draft is a process used by WWE to determine which wrestlers will appear on which of its brands. The draft has been used sporadically since 2002, and has been used as a way to rejuvenate WWE’s rosters, as well as to settle brand wars between its two main programs, Raw and SmackDown.

The most recent WWE Draft took place on October 11th, 2016, with the first draft taking place on April 29th, 2002.

One of the benefits of the WWE Draft is that it allows for new storylines and fresh matches. It also ensures that the top talent is evenly distributed between the two brands. This allows for a more competitive environment and helps to prevent one brand from becoming dominant over the other.

Another benefit of the WWE Draft is that it gives newer or less experienced wrestlers a chance to be drafted onto a brand where they will have a better chance of succeeding. This can help to increase their confidence and give them a boost in their career.

The WWE Draft is also beneficial for fans as it gives them something new to look forward to. The draft usually takes place at a time when WWE’s programming is starting to feel stale, so it provides a much-needed shot in the arm for both fans and wrestlers alike.

What are the drawbacks of the WWE Draft?

There are a few drawbacks to the WWE Draft. First, it can be difficult to find two wrestlers who are truly evenly matched. Second, the WWE Draft can cause tension between wrestlers who are on different brands. Finally, the WWE Draft can sometimes be used as a way to punish wrestlers who have displeased WWE management.

Conclusion

The WWE Draft is a process used by WWE to refresh its rosters for its two main brands, Raw and SmackDown. A random selection process is used to determine which superstar goes to which brand. The draft is conducted periodically and has been held a total of 11 times in WWE’s history.

The last WWE Draft took place in 2016 and saw a total of 72 superstars get drafted to either Raw or SmackDown. It was the first draft to feature the brand extension, which saw the rosters of Raw and SmackDown split evenly with 36 superstars each. The 2016 WWE Draft was also the first time that NXT superstars were eligible to be drafted.

The next WWE Draft is scheduled to take place on October 11, 2019. It will be the first draft since the reintroduction of the Wild Card Rule, which allows superstars from both Raw and SmackDown to appear on either brand. It is unknown at this time how many superstars will be drafted or if any NXT superstars will be eligible.